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Perimeter hosts international planning session for G7 Summit

January 31, 2018

Representatives from the G7 nations assembled at Perimeter Institute this week to plan the 2018 G7 Summit.

The Region of Waterloo served as base camp this week for the G7 Sherpas – the personal representatives of world leaders from each of the included nations – as they discussed the themes and goals of the upcoming G7 Summit, to be held in Quebec this June.

The organizers said they chose Perimeter Institute as the venue for their planning sessions because it exemplifies values underpinning their discussions: collaboration, openness, diversity, and the power of big ideas.

“Perimeter Institute is world-renowned, there are researchers here from all over the world, and it is a beautiful setting in which to have a meeting of this kind,”said Peter Boehm, who is the deputy minister for the G7 Summit and the personal representative of the Prime Minister. “I consulted our Prime Minister about the location, and he is very pleased we’re at Perimeter.”

The G7 Summit is an annual gathering where leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) democracies address global issues and opportunities to advance economic prosperity, equality and diversity, and the path to a more sustainable future.

Several months prior to the Sherpa meeting, Perimeter Director Neil Turok and Founder Mike Lazaridis shared ideas with Boehm on topics related to the G7, particularly regarding access to excellence for brilliant young people, advancement of women, and building capacity in skills that will drive the future economy.

During a break from their private sessions, the G7 Sherpas met and talked with Perimeter researchers and students from their home countries.

Perimeter Institute COO and Managing Director Michael Duschenes said the spirit of open dialogue and international cooperation was a common thread between the G7 meetings and Perimeter Institute.

“Perimeter is truly a global hub for collaboration on big ideas,” said Duschenes. “Our researchers and students come from every corner of the globe, including all the G7 nations. Perimeter is, in that sense, a very fitting venue for the G7 Sherpas to come together in the spirt of addressing important global issues.”

“It is an honour and privilege for us to host this G7 Sherpa summit,” said Turok.

“Our task is to bring the brightest minds together, from around the world, and give them the opportunity and the challenge to interact, collaborate, and solve important problems. A marvellous future awaits, if only we can take care of ourselves and our planet. We are relying on you, and our global leaders, to show the necessary wisdom. Thank you to the Government of Canada and all participating countries for the vision and leadership to advance the G7 themes.”

About Perimeter Institute

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.